Solent Coastguard co-ordinates rescue of man who fell from yacht

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A COASTGUARD crew were called out to rescue a man who had fallen from a yacht.

Solent Coastguard, based in Lee-on-the-Solent, co-ordinated the rescue of the 63-year-old man after receiving a mayday call at 9.31am.

The man had been clipped on to the yacht by the strap of his lifejacket.

The coastguard had told the two remaining crew on the man’s yacht to inflate their liferaft and to tether it to the yacht and the man climbed aboard.

At the same time, the coastguard broadcasted a mayday relay to any vessels that were nearby to assist and received an offer of assistance from a rigid inflatable boat.

The crew of the boat took the man to Brighton Marina, where he was checked out by an ambulance crew but was fine.

Newhaven Coastguard rescue team were called out and Brighton RNLI lifeboat was also requested to launch.

Steve Mann, watch officer at Solent Coastguard said: ‘The remaining crew did exactly the right thing in calling for help in making a mayday call, which meant any other boats in the area that heard the broadcast were immediately able to offer assistance.’